Brewing tea and coffee is a complex process with many variables that affect the resulting flavor of the tea or coffee. These variables include water temperature, coarseness of ground coffee beans, degree of roasting of the coffee beans, the ratio of ground coffee to water and length of time the grounds are in contact with water.
Commonly used manual brewing devices include the French press, in which water is added to coffee grounds in a carafe and allowed to steep for a particular time period. The operator then applies a downward force to the French press plunger to separate the coffee grounds from the finished brew. The finished brew may then be poured or kept in the carafe. When the finished brew is kept in the carafe, compounds from the grounds continue to be extracted and these compounds contribute to the bitterness of the finished brew. For example, coffee grounds that are left to sit in the carafe increase the amount of chlorogenic acid, which causes noticeable bitterness in the resulting cup of coffee.
Another common method of brewing a cup of coffee employs the “pour over” method, in which grounds are placed in a cone shaped filter, and water is poured over the top of the cone shape filter. In operation, the heated water gravity flows through the grounds and the finished brew is collected in a separate vessel. The method allows gravity to take the water through the grounds and into the vessel below. There is no time control, as gravity does the work.
In both the French press and the “pour over” method, the operator of the brewing equipment cannot effectively control the steep time because control of the steep time is dependent on the brewing device. The steep time for tea or coffee will depend on the type of tea or coffee and the individual preferences of the operator.
Although there are some devices that give the operator control over steep time, there are various challenges associated with using these devices. Often, devices that provide control of steep time are bulky and only brew a single cup of coffee or tea. Additionally, hot water leaks from these brewing devices because they lack an integrated industrial design, in which the separate component can smoothly and logically interface with one another. Trying to circumvent the limitations of these brewing devices may require a separate container, e.g. a mug, for mixing the brewing material and hot water, which is not portable or compact. Furthermore, devices that provide control over steep time require a precarious setup process or inverting the brewing device, which may leak. Further still, it would be beneficial to provide a compact brewing assembly that can brew two or more cups of coffee or tea in a compact brewing assembly.